114 Travel | Prague
© Prague City Tourism ; © Anibal Trejo / Shutterstock
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If you were asked to design a theme-park town for St Valentine ’ s Day , you might think of twisted Gothic spires and Renaissance palaces fit for a princess . You ’ d add frivolous baroque churches , art deco domes and a fanciful hilltop castle , all arranged around city squares and cobbled lanes and view-gazing hills . A river would gurgle through the middle of your town , and the afternoon sun would caress the city , turning the river to molten orange and old spires to needles of gold .
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In short , with romance on the mind , who wouldn ’ t think of a place just like Prague ? True , its Gothic churches are a little creepy , but its Cinderella palaces are suitably fanciful . Locals dress up in Mozart wigs , and even the guards at the castle wear uniforms created by the costume designer from the movie Amadeus . Prague treads a fine line between historic preservation and theme-park fantasy , yet somehow pulls it off . Even better , when spring arrives , bringing warmth and a blush of flowers to the city , its romantic side emerges in full force and the spirit of love seems to linger at every corner and viewpoint .
Start off at Prague ’ s Staré Město , or ‘ Old Town ’, which lies at the city ’ s geographic and historic heart and is a good place to begin a hand-inhand meander through time . The largely medieval quarter has survived virtually intact but for the occasional baroque additions , and it is a charming warren of cobbled , crooked streets bursting with restaurants , cafés and tourist shops where you can pick up lovers ’ gifts such as Bohemian crystal and garnet jewellery .
Staré Město ’ s winding streets lead eventually to a vast main square , which has been at the heart of Prague ’ s life since the 10 th century . Easily one of Europe ’ s most beautiful urban spaces , the square is surrounded by tall baroque buildings picked out in pastel colours and overlooked by twisted Gothic spires like illustrations from a fairy tale . A
1 View over Prague ’ s main square from the Old Town Hall .
2 Statue of Jan Hus on Old Town Square .